Vauxhall Ampera review - Introduction

What is it? The new Vauxhall Ampera is basically an electric vehicle (or EV) with a back-up plan for when its batteries go flat.

As with most EVs, you charge the Ampera's powerful lithium-ion battery pack by plugging it into a domestic power supply. A full charge takes about four hours, and depending on your driving style (and a few other factors), it'll carry you up to 50 miles on pure electric power. That, says Vauxhall, will satisfy 85% of the UK's urban commuters.

Where the Ampera differs from other EVs, though, is that its electric motor is backed up by a 1.4-litre petrol engine that acts as a generator to provide the electric motor with an alternative source of electricity when the batteries run down. This means you won't be left high and dry as long as there's petrol in the tank. More importantly, you won't constantly worry about it. It also means you can occasionally use your car for longer journeys, rather than the short, pre-planned ones that pure EVs are limited to.

The range-extender technology means incredible efficiency figures. Vauxhall has quoted preliminary figures of 175mpg and 40g/km of CO2 – that's significantly better than those you'll get from the hybrid section of the market. Even the forthcoming Toyota Prius plug-in can't get close, let alone a normal Prius.